Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-09-28
noTEl.RuNnERs. TRICKS.
How q Country Couple on q Californi,
Ferry-BOat Were Terrified.

How Country Couple on q California
Ferry-BOat Were Terrified.
An unfailing source of entertainments to
the regular passengers on the Oakland
Ierryboats, says the San Francisco CRron-
icte, are the maneuvers of the hotel-run-
ners in inducing people to patronize their
respective hosteiries. When arrivals are
lghtparty feeling runs high, and ingenious
devices are resorted to for the purpose Of
enticing away customers already secured
by rival runner.
The other morning among the arrivals
by the southern overland train were q re-
spectacle couple well advanced in years.
They were seized upon by a runner, and
While his rivals were busy with other pas
sengers the runner secured them as guests
for his hotel, and took possession of their
| baggage checks. When the others discov-
cred what had been done they immediate-
ly set to work to undo it. One of them
got into conversation with the couple, and
soon learned that they had been recon.
mended to that particular hotel by a
young man whose acquaintance they had
made on the train. He left at once
without comment, conferred at the other
end OF the boat, and in few minutes two
of the runners took off their badges, saun-
tered back to where the old couple were
/ located, seated themselves close to them,
and entered into conversation in tone
which guaranteed every word being hoard
] by the travellers.
"Well," said No. /, "I see there was an
other robbery at the Blank House last
night"
''Is that SOP Who did they get away
with this timer"
"Oh, couple from the country, as usual.
man and his wife were found this morn
ing in their room just recovering from the
effects of chloroform. The trunk had been
broken open and ransacked. The pockets
| OF the clothing of both of them were
turned inside out and every cent the poor
people had in the world was gone. Why,
they even took the earrings out of the
woman's ears and the mans watch from
under his pillow"
SLOW did they happen to go to such a
dreadful house, if they were respectable
people:"
"Oh, the old racket. They met a young
man on the train who got acquainted with
them and recommended the place as de.
cent lodging-houss. OF course the young
man was 'Hotel-Room Bob.' That is the
way he usually works it. The proprietor
is in with him, and, once in the house, the
victim has no chance. The police ought tc
close the place up. There is an average oil
Il Lnree rODDerleS week there right along. "
They got up and sauntered of, leaving
the old couple, who had heard every word
in a state of establishment and terror.
Just then the runner, who had put up the
trick came up again and the woman
! sprang forward, caught him by the arm
and said: "Look here, mister, what sort
of place is that Blank House?"
swell, madam" said the joker, 81 don't
like to say any thing against the rival
house, but l must say l am surprised to
see respectable people like you go there
The old lady turned and held a whis.
pered consultation with her husband, who
rushed off, collared the runner who had
taken his checks, and made him relinquish
them. Returning, he gave the checks to
the successful trickster, and he and the old
lady sat down and INDUCED in mutual con-
/ gratulations at having escaped robbery
and perhaps murder in the deadfall, the
character of which had so providentially
been made known to them. The runner
for the much-maligned house, which by
the way is a perfectly respectable one, is
cudGeling his brain to know how he lost
! bis customers.